Henry W. Percival

HENRY W. PERCIVAL. The older and more substantial private citizens in Western Kansas regard land holding and land owning as the foundation of their business position, regardless of how many and important connections they have formed in other spheres. Thus Henry W. Percival, one of the pioneers of Sheridan County, and a prosperous merchant at Hoxie, has never considered it desirable to divorce himself entirely from agriculture, and as a consequence he owns a farm tract of 320 acres of good wheat land in that region.

Mr. Percival has lived in Kansas since early youth. He was born in Lee County, Iowa, April 12, 1866. His father, W. O. Percival, was born in New Hampshire in 1838 and at the age of fourscore years is still living in Hoxie. He grew up in his native New England, but in early life went out to Iowa, and for many years followed his trade as a carpenter at Mount Pleasant in Henry County. In 1885 he moved to Kansas and settled in Sheridan County, homesteading and tree-claiming 160 acres, the former of which he still owns, but is now living retired. In politics he is a democrat and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. W. O. Percival has three times married, his first wife being Miss Barr, who bore him a son, Charles, a dentist at Bonaparte, Iowa. He married for his second wife Sarah Elizabeth Barr, sister of his first wife. She was born in Iowa and died in Henry County, that state, in 1870. She was the mother of two children, Hattie who died in infancy, and Henry W. Mr. Percival married for his third wife Miss Sarah Eaton, who was born in Iowa in 1842 and resides in Hoxie. Her only child, Maude, is the wife of Dr. L. H. McCartney, a well known physician of Hoxie.

While a growing and vigorous boy Henry W. Percival attended the public schools of Hillsboro, Iowa. In 1885, at the age of nineteen, he came to Kansas with his parents and for three years assisted his father in carpenter work and in establishing the family home. After attaining his majority he took a homestead of 160 acres and a tree claim, and still owns both, now highly developed as a farm and located twelve miles northwest of Hoxie. On that tract he was a farmer for some years and made a number of good crops of wheat. He continued this until 1896, since which year he has resided in Hoxie.

Mr. Percival's removal to Hoxie was the result of his election in 1896 as county clerk of Sheridan County. He was re-elected in 1898 and served two full terms. In 1901, on retiring from office, he bought a general store, and he and his two sons conducted this as the leading general merchandise house in Hoxie. Mr. Percival also served eight years as county commissioner of Sheridan County and has also held township offices. He is a democrat and is a past grand of Hoxie Lodge of Odd Fellows.

In 1888, in Sheridan County Mr. Percival married Miss Alice Dennison, daughter of John A. and Elizabeth (Richmond) Dennison. Her parents are retired farmers living at Hoxie. The two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Percival are both associated with their father in business, but during 1918 both were absent from the store in patriotic service with the United States army, while their father loyally did his utmost to fill their places at home. The older son is Elmer, born February 3, 1890, and the younger is Sylvan, born in May, 1897.

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